A Long Beach Unified School District teacher is retiring after a district investigation found he circulated a racist, ableist meme showing a Black child wearing an ankle monitor with the caption "we need this for our runners," a message that sparked months of controversy among parents, students, and staff. The educator had been on paid administrative leave while the district and his union conducted parallel probes.
The Long Beach Post reviewed the district’s March 19 investigative report, prepared for LBUSD by an outside law firm, and reported that the findings concluded the message "belittled students of color and students with disabilities." According to the outlet, the district reopened its probe after the image’s publication prompted public outcry and a rise in formal complaints, and the Long Beach Unified board was expected to approve the teacher’s retirement on Wednesday.
The episode first surfaced last fall when a screenshot circulated inside a teacher's bargaining-team chat and prompted an internal union inquiry that cost the teacher his leadership role and drew condemnation from elected officials. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the district initially resisted investigating private union communications before ultimately placing the teacher on administrative leave once the matter became public.
An internal three-member panel appointed by the union later concluded the teacher’s claim that his phone was hacked was not credible, and the district says it offered to perform a forensic audit that he declined, the Long Beach Post reports. The paper says he spent roughly six months on paid administrative leave while the district investigated; in filings the teacher submitted to the California Public Employment Relations Board he alleges the union mishandled his case, claims flyers bearing his face and the meme were distributed at schools, and says he was forced into early retirement to avoid termination and the loss of pay and health benefits.
Solomon's Defense
Solomon has denied sending the image, saying his phone was briefly hacked and that he was not the author of the post. The Los Angeles Times reported his denials when the story first surfaced and noted the district placed him on leave pending the outcome of the probe.
District And Community Reaction
Parents, teachers, and local advocates said the case exposed gaps in transparency and accountability, and a coalition of elected officials publicly condemned the language as harmful to Black students and students with disabilities. Community outlets and local organizers described the incident as part of a broader pattern of bias in schools and urged LBUSD to finish its review quickly and publish findings, according to reporting by Voice of Black LA.
Legal Implications
The teacher submitted an unfair labor charge against the union that, according to his filings, asks for lost wages and benefits; public-sector disputes like that are handled under the rules of the California Public Employment Relations Board. For background on how those disputes are processed, see the California Public Employment Relations Board, which oversees unfair practice and bargaining-duty cases for schools and other public employers.
As Long Beach leaders push for clearer discipline and faster resolutions, community members say the case has underscored a need for stronger protections for students of color and students with disabilities. The district said it will release additional information about its investigation soon and the school board’s action on the teacher’s retirement is expected this week.
